The Blacklist
by JBNFS91
Summary: Adam is a new guy in town with a history of street racing. One night, he manages to find a race meet, where he encounters a member of the blacklist. Not knowing anything about the blacklist, Adam challenges him to a race
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone. This is an extract from a chapter I wrote based on EA's Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Most wanted was and still is my favourite game in the series, and has, in my opinion at least, the best storyline. I've had this idea in my head for a story based on the game for ages, and one day decided to write a bit of it just for fun. I've now written four chapters. This extract comes from chapter #1.

Just to provide a bit of info, my story is based in a world where street racing in Los Angeles is dictated by a kind of hierachy that is the blacklist. They are the 15 best and most notorious racers in the city and they kind of run the show. Opinion is divided on the blacklist in L.A - some aspire to be on it, and some aspire to be rid of it. Razor is already #1 on the blacklist, and uses his position to control the underground racing scene in LA. He does not own the BMW M3 GTR in my version. I wanted my main protagonist to have a better reason for taking down the blacklist than just simply to get his car back. Instead, he teams up with a group of racers who, like many others, have lost a lot to the blacklist, and with them sets out to restore the street racing scene to its former glory; where anyone can race anyone and there is no social hierachy among racers. Plus, I frickin love that Beemer. In my version, Adam (the main protagonist) owns the BMW himself. It is his car and is the one he uses to take down the majority of the blacklist. He doesn't have it this early on - he starts out with a Nissan Skyline R32.

So, very very briefly, here is the story so far: Adam, a devout petrol head with a history of street racing, has moved to L.A. for a fresh start. Things seem pretty mundane here - he works in a struggling DIY store and knows virtually no one. One day, he overhears a conversation at a gas station between two street racers about a race meet being held that night in Santa Monica. Later on he manages to find that race meet by following one of the drivers to a closed of parking lot where it is being held. This extract picks up from there, just after he has arrived:

...

Adam got out of his car, and locked it. He pulled on his leather jacket and had a quick scope. A group of attractive girls walked past and smiled at him. He smiled back. The guy standing by the car next to his was watching him.

"That your ride?" he said. He was a tall, well built man with a bald head. He had a bunch of girls crowded round him and was stood next to a custom 2011 Chevy Camaro. It was orange with black racing stripes.

"Yeah, yeah it is" Adam answered in a friendly manner.

The guy laughed. "I'd take that piece of crap home, that thing aint made for these streets. Looks like it could use a good cleaning too". The girls giggled and he smirked with satisfaction.

Adam's expression changed. His car was a little dirty, but still, what an asshole. "Yeah, well maybe after I've washed it, I could borrow some of that wax you use to shine your head. Just for that perfect finish" he retorted.

The guy's smirk dropped to a frown. The girls looked at each other and giggled again at the comeback. The guy glared at them with an expression of pure fury, and they skulked away. He scowled as he watched them leave, and then walked right up to Adam so that they were inches apart.

"You think you're funny huh?"

"I'm hilarious"

The guy laughed sarcastically. "That attitude won't last long around here boy. You'll soon find that out". He paused and stared at Adam, before turning away and storming into the crowd, pushing people as he went. Adam scoffed with displeasure.

"Don't worry about him, he's a notorious jackass" came a voice from behind Adam. He turned around to face whoever it was. The voice had come from a guy who looked about the same age as himself, maybe a couple of years older. He was also alone, but didn't seem to be standing next to or near a car. He was leaning against an oil drum that had been used as a trash can, with his arms folded. He looked comfortable, like he had been there for a while.

"Yeah I got that" Adam replied, with a laugh.

"He looks like a thug but he's a complete pussy. Still, he is an asshole" the guy continued. Adam nodded. "The name's Hayes. Lucas Hayes. Call me Luke if you like". Luke extended a hand.

"Palmer, Adam Palmer" Adam replied, shaking Luke's hand.

"You're not from around here are you?" Luke asked.

Adam laughed. "That obvious huh?"

"Yeah 'fraid so. Here to race?"

"Not really, more like to check things out. What's the scene like here?" Adam asked while glancing round the parking lot.

"Well, it's pretty easy to find a race these days if you know the right people" Luke replied. "It's got pretty active in the last fourteen months. Everyone wants to get onto the Blacklist"

"What's the Blacklist?" Adam said. He was intrigued.

"Wow you really are new in town" Luke said looking surprised, as if everyone knew what it was. Adam shrugged. "It's kind of a social hierarchy among street racers round here. It's made up of the fifteen best and most notorious racers in the city"

"How do you get onto it?"

"You have to defeat a Blacklist member"

"Seems easy enough?" Adam asked inquisitively. Luke was shaking his head. Adam looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

"You got a lot to learn dude"

"Any tips?"

Luke smiled. "Watch out for these guys". He nodded towards a group of guys walking over towards the two of them. Adam turned to face them as they approached him. He recognised all three of them: one was the bald guy he had just insulted, one was the Supra driver he had followed to the meet, and the other was the RX7 driver who had been with the Supra guy at the petrol station earlier on. He looked back round to Luke to ask what they were likely to want, but he had gone. Weird, Adam thought. The trio reached where he was standing. The Supra driver was stood in the middle. This was the first time Adam had seen him properly. He had a short dark brown hair and a bit of groomed stubble. The RX7 driver was Japanese and had spiky black hair and was wearing sunglasses, despite it obviously being night time.

"Carl, is this the guy?" said the Supra driver to the bald guy, whose name Adam now figured was Carl.

"Yeah man, this is the asshole" Carl replied, all the while staring at Adam. Adam stood with his hands in his pockets and held Carl's gaze, determined to show them that they didn't intimidate him.

The RX7 driver then spoke to the Supra guy. "Vince aint that the car that followed you here?" He pointed to Adam's Skyline. Vince looked at the car, then back to Adam.

"Well, well, well. That yours?" he asked Adam directly.

"It sure is" Adam confidently replied. He turned his gaze from Carl to Vince. He said nothing more. There were a few seconds of tense silence. People were starting to stop and watch what was going on.

"Carl tells me you're a cocky son of a bitch. Think you can put your money where your mouth is?"

"Definitely. Two hundred bucks say I can smoke all three of you" The crowd that had gathered roared with laughter. Adam's confidence suddenly began to crack. Carl and the RX7 driver were laughing too, but Vince just smirked.

"Two hundred bucks? You really are small time aren't you?" Carl said through laughter.

"You gotta put up a much bigger wager in this town buster" said the RX7 driver with a smirk.

"Name it" Adam directed this at Vince. He really didn't have the money to afford to say this but he was determined not to lose any more dignity. Besides, he was sure he could win.

"I'm not racing you" Vince scoffed. The crowd laughed again, but not as hysterically.

"And why would that be" Adam demanded.

"Because asshole, this guy here is number thirteen on the blacklist" the Japanese guy said defensively. "You got a lot of rep to earn before you get to run with him". Adam looked on incredulously at this suck-up, then back to Vince, who was still smirking.

"That's right small-time. You should do some research, before you just go challenging people to races" he proclaimed. "But, you know, I'm in the mood for some action tonight. You can race Carl".

"Wait what" said Carl, looking from Vince to Adam. Adam raised an eyebrow.

"That's right. And, I'll tell you what, no wager. I have no doubt that Carl will leave you in the dust. This is just gonna be a little demonstration of what happens when you go shooting your mouth off to the wrong people. It's gonna be embarrassing enough when Carl wins and makes you look stupid in front of everyone without you losing your money". The crowd jeered and laughed.

"And when I win?" Adam retorted, taking his hands out of his pockets and crossing his arms.

"Then you get satisfaction of proving me wrong and making Carl look like the fool. But that aint gonna happen" Vince sneered. More laughter.

Adam was never one to back down from something like this, even when there was no money involved. Frankly, if he got to show up these assholes, then that was even better.

"Fine. Let's do this" he said. There was more excited jeering and the crowd began to disperse. Adam, Vince, and the two others stood still amongst the chaos.

"Alright" said Vince with another twisted smirk. "Fire 'em up" He pointed towards gates. The two guys manning them pulled them open and the crowd spilled out onto the street. Adam looked at Carl, who was still standing in the same spot, and smiled tauntingly at him. Carl maintained a straight face, and made for his car. Adam pulled out his keys, and got into the Skyline. Here we go, he thought to himself. The familiar feeling of excitement came flooding back as he turned on the engine and revved it loudly.

It was late, and there was no traffic. Adam sat in his car at the start line next to Carl's Camaro, and began psyching himself up. The crowd was going wild, cheering and hollering. You got this, you got this, you're gonna smoke him, he said to himself. He looked across to Carl, who looked straight ahead with an expression of sheer determination, both hands on the wheel. Adam knew he had intimidated him. Good. A guy walked up between the two cars and beckoned them to wind down their windows.

"This will be a quarter mile sprint, there and back, you understand?" He shouted over all the noise. "There is a traffic cone placed in the middle of the road exactly a quarter of a mile from here. You race down to it, spin round and race back up, ok?" Both drivers nodded in acknowledgement. He walked out in front of both cars, and took a safe place between them. Carl began revving the Camaro to the applause of the crowd. The guy starting the race held up both his arms, and shouted "On my mark!"

Both Adam and Carl were furiously revving their engines. A burst of flame erupted from the exhaust of the Skyline on the overrun.

"GO!"

There was an explosion of noise; tire squeal, roaring engines and cheering. Adam got a perfect launch, and grabbed the lead off of the line. Carl was right behind however; Adam had to make sure that he was perfect on the gear changes. The Camaro was bound to have a lot of top end power. It would be perfect in a drag race in the right hands. Carl was no slouch; he was beginning to level with Adam. Adam found another gear, and began to pull into the lead. Carl moved into his slipstream and started to close him down. Adam would have to get him on the turn. He had no doubt that his Skyline was better in the corners. As they approached the cone, Adam had a lead of about a cars length. He ripped the handbrake, and manoeuvred his car into a power slide. Carl however, did not slow or even attempt to turn. Instead, he drove straight at Adam's drifting car, and clipped its rear end. Adam's head hit the window from the impact; there was a nasty bang and a crunch, and the Skyline's rear bumper tore off. Adam cursed loudly. His car was sent into a spin and came to a rest facing the wrong direction. He could see the remains of his rear bumper strewn in the road. Carl pulled a perfect 180 degree spin around Adam's immobile car, and then shot off back towards the finish. The Skyline had stalled from the collision. Cursing furiously, Adam restarted it, floored the gas pedal and ripped the handbrake to spin the car on the spot to face the right way. He then gassed it back down the road. He could see Carl up ahead, but it was too far for him to catch up and win. All he could do was try and close the gap on him as much as possible to make it look like it wasn't a complete walkover. Carl finished with a handbrake turn, and leapt out of his car to revel in the applause. About five seconds later, Adam finished. His clutch was smoking and his temperature gauge was flashing. He stopped just before the crowd that had gathered around Carl. They looked on at him and laughed, pointed and made hand gestures. Adam didn't get out of the car. The crowd began to disperse again, some returning to their cars in the parking lot, others heading off on foot. The night was over. Carl walked over to Adam's car and spat on it. He held out his arms in a gloating gesture, then laughed and ran back to his car where two girls waited for him. The all got in and drove away. Vince was the last to pull out of the parking lot, and he rolled up next to Adam. His window was down. Without making eye contact, Adam rolled down his. He continued to stare straight ahead.

"Not so cocky after all, huh? Don't come around here again". And with pure satisfaction, Vince roared away, leaving Adam to sit there fuming.

...

Hope you enjoyed it :D


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys. Sorry it's been so long since my last upload! Anyways here is another chapter in my Need for Speed story. Unfortunately my PC broke and I lost all my old stuff, including the chapters I have already written :( Hoping to get it fixed at some point so I can recover them. I remember where I left off with my story, so once again allow me to (very briefly, cos I've actually written shit loads) fill you in on what happened in those chapters between my last upload and this one. After losing to Carl, Adam is approached by Luke (who he met at the race meet if you remember) who was nonetheless impressed with Adam's skill and attitude, and asks him to join his crew and help them to take down the blacklist. He fills Adam in on what the blacklist is, and also who Razor is, and Adam turns him down saying that he doesn't want to get involved in something like that. Rumours spread that Adam is going to work with Luke to take down Razor, and this of course gets back to the man himself. Razor, not liking what he hears, pays Adam a visit and has him badly beaten up. Adam then reconsiders Luke's offer, and decides he wants in on it. He teams up with Luke's crew, which consists of Luke, another racer named Nick, a middle aged mechanic named Jim who runs Luke's garage and a female racer with a lot of contacts named Brooke. Together they come up with a plan to take down the blacklist, starting with building up Adam's rep with a few races. This extract is the beginning of that preparation.

Sorry that it's a bit short, I was desperate to upload something, so it might be a bit rushed. There will be more soon :) Also, forgive me if my locations are strange or unrealistic - I've based this in L.A., which is a place I have never been to. Im from the UK and have never actually been to America lol. This is all done using Google maps :s So yeah it might not be accurate bet hey, its just fun :)

Enjoy

Adam arrived at the garage to find the others there waiting for him. The three of them were stood on the forecourt conversing by Nick's Charger. Adam parked alongside it, and glanced at the time before shutting off the ignition. Twenty-three minutes past twelve. Although the meet was scheduled for midnight, Luke had told everyone to meet at the garage for quarter-past, as they wanted the crowds to be there first. They were going to need to make an entrance. Adam stepped out of his car, and said hello to everyone. They engaged in small talk for a few minutes, before Luke glanced at his watch.

"Okay, I think that's fashionably late enough" he said. "Don't want people to think you're bitchin' out. Let's go" he said. The others nodded. Brooke hopped into the Charger with Nick and Luke and Adam climbed into his Skyline. Nick led them out of the garage. It was only a short drive to the meet, which was taking place in a car park on an industrial estate in Commerce. There was still plenty of time to think however. Adam had a lot riding on this race. It was the first one since that night he lost to Carl, and the first step in mounting his challenge against the blacklist. After his last outing, he had no credibility left – if he lost tonight, no-one was going to take him seriously. This win was vital for his reputation. "How are you feeling about this?"

He was started by Luke's voice. They'd both been quiet for a while, and Adam had been so lost in thought that he had not even been paying attention to his driving. He had no idea how they had got to where they were now from the garage, he'd just been following Nick. He cleared his throat.

"I'm feeling good. I got this" Adam replied. He didn't doubt that he could win, but he wasn't telling the truth when he said he was feeling good. Although he hated to admit it to himself, he was a little nervous.

They came to the end of Fidelia Avenue and made a left onto Sheila Street. They followed the road right until its end, upon where they came across the car park. It was situated between a train yard and a field that contained nothing but pylons. At this time of night, there was no-one around, except of course for all of the street racers. The car park was adorned with many of the familiar sights that a race meet had to offer. There were cars lined up along either side, leaving a space down the middle which at that moment was filled with people. They turned and started as Nick and Adam pulled in, moved slowly out of the way as the two cars pushed through the crowd. Nick peeled off into an empty spot but Luke told Adam to keep on going. The crowd up ahead parted to reveal two cars parked side by side – one was Leo's Acura RSX and the other was Dave's Infiniti GSX. Adam took his place alongside his competitors, and shut of the engine.

"Okay then, here we go" said Luke. "Don't let these guys get to you. I know you're gonna smoke them" he smiled, and Adam nodded. They both got out of the car. Immediately there was jeering and hollering. Leo and Dave, who were with their cars, were smirking.

"Thought you weren't gonna show dog" said Dave as Leo shook his head, and the crowd jeered some more. "Started to think you'd pussied out". There was laughter and echoes of agreement.

"Well we're here now, what do you say we get this over with so you two can give us your money and we can all go home, huh?" Luke retorted. There were some 'ooh's from the crowd as they carried on stirring up the atmosphere. Dave pulled a face and Leo stood up from the hood of his car.

"Well what are we waiting for?" he asked, pulling out a wad of cash and throwing it down onto the hood of Dave's. "2 G's, as agreed" he said. Dave pulled out a similar wad and placed it next to Leo's. Everyone looked at Adam, who reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his money, and tossed it onto the hood of the GSX.

"Alright, alright fellas" said a man stepping forwards and picking up the three wads of cash. He thumbed through it and passed it to a friend, who confirmed that it was all there. "Okay. This will be a one lap race. You race across the train yard to East 26th Street, follow that until you get to South Garfield Avenue – make a left and then another one onto Telegraph Road, follow Telegraph until East Washington Boulevard, take East Washington back to Fidelia Avenue and then take Sheila Street back to here. Got that?"

Leo and Dave nodded, and so did Adam. He was saying the route over and over in his head, but wasn't sure he was going to remember it in a few moments time when the race started and the adrenaline kicked in.

"Alright then, let's get this started" said the guy who was holding the money. The crowd cheered and started to clear the way. Leo and Dave each spent a few moments listening to words of good luck from their friends before getting into their cars.

"Good luck buddy" said Luke, patting Adam on the shoulder. Brooke and Nick appeared from behind and also wished him luck, and then took their place at the side line. Adam climbed into the Skyline once more. He turned on the ignition, drew a deep breath, and then pressed on the gas pedal. The Skyline rumbled. The other guys were revving their engines too. As the race starter took his place, Leo began to spin his rear wheels to the applause of the crowd. Adam stayed cool. The starter threw his hands in the air; everything else that happened in the next few seconds felt like it took a lifetime. The noise from all three cars as the drivers revved their engines was deafening and the crowd were cheering louder than before. Adam quickly moved one hand from the wheel to the handbrake as his rear wheels began to spin. His tyres were squealing, his engine was roaring. The Skyline was as eager to get off of the line as he was. The starter dropped his hands, and the three of them were off…


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys, short and simple here. This bit just carries on from where Chapter 2 finished. Enjoy!

_**The starter dropped his hands, and the three of them were off.**_ Dave shot into an early lead, with Adam just pulling away from Leo. Adam hadn't got a great start, so he expected Leo of hanging back for some reason. Adam wasn't pushing his hardest either – he wanted to follow someone close enough to see where he had to go but also close enough to overtake when the time was right.

They were out of the car park within seconds, and as they approached a railway crossing, Adam realised why Leo was hanging behind; Dave, who was quite ahead by now, sped over the crossing, but the proceeded straight through the train yard and over the rails. He came in much too fast – the front bumper of his lowered G35 caught one of them; it tore off, and he was helpless to prevent himself from running over it. The fibreglass bumper broke into pieces and the impact caused him to puncture a front tire. He was out of the race. Adam and Leo, both over the crossing by now, slowed and drew level. They both approached the railway lines at a reasonable speed, and crossed safely. It was still an uncomfortable ride, however, and the sound of the Skyline bumping over the tracks made Adam grimace. Once out onto the other side of the train yard, they spilled out onto East 26th Street. Leo managed to grab the lead – there was a lot more to that RSX than met the eye. The road kinked to the right, then opened out onto a long straight. Adam moved into Leo's slipstream, and closed the gap. He overtook with ease, and was leading as they drifted onto South Garfield Avenue. They blasted underneath the Santa Anna Freeway and made an immediate left onto Telegraph Road. Adam had put about two car lengths between himself and Leo, but Leo was gaining. All of a sudden, Adam's pulse began racing as he realised he had forgotten where to go next. _Something_ Boulevard. Lincoln? Shit. Glancing in his rear view, all he could see was the RSX. Unwittingly, he swerved across and allowed Leo to pass. No sooner had he done so than he swerved back into the slipstream; he couldn't let this guy pull away. They thundered down Telegraph Road. Traffic was sparse, but every time they did pass another motorist they were either honked or flashed at. All of a sudden Leo veered left. Adam reacted late and was out turned. He caught a glimpse of the road sign. _Washington _Boulevard. Where next?

Leo had pulled away, and was hurtling down towards the next turning. They passed the freeway, and within moments Adam saw Leo braking ready for the turn. Fidelia Avenue! Then just Sheila Street to finish. That was it. Adam out-braked Leo, and they were side by side as they turned onto Fidelia. The run to Sheila Street was short and over in seconds. Still side by side, Leo cut the corner; at first it looked like he had pulled out a considerable lead, but the RSX didn't like the sudden terrain change, and sent Leo into a four wheel power slide. Adam's reactions were lightning fast – seeing Leo struggling for grip, he floored the Skyline out of the turn, being careful so as not to slide himself. As Leo managed to snap his car back to a straight line, they were level again, but Adam had better traction. He sailed past. He hammered it up through the gears along the lengthy straight, pulling out a lead that Leo was powerless to catch up to in time. The crowd were waiting up ahead at the top of the road. As Adam reached them, he ripped the handbrake and finished in style. His car was swamped by people; Nick practically pulled him out of the car, and then congratulated him. Luke and Brooke had pushed through the crowd to get to him. Luke was beaming and shook his hand. He congratulated him too. Brooke then hugged him.

"I knew you'd do it" she said, pulling away and giving Adam a wink. She then laughed and slapped him on the arm. Adam laughed back. He felt happier than had in a long while. He revelled in the congratulations, before the guy who had been watching the money appeared and handed over his winnings with a shake of the hand. Leo appeared, and to Adam's surprise offered a word of congratulations too. As the crowds dispersed, Adam said goodnight to and refused offers of drinks from various groups of strangers that were heading out on the town. It was good to know that he'd finally made a good impression. He handed over a wad of cash to Luke, thanked they guys for all the work they had done on his car, and setting up the race, before asking them how they felt about just going back to the clubhouse for a celebratory drink. They all agreed it was a good plan, and they made for their cars. This time, Brooke elected to ride shot gun with Adam. Beaming, Adam couldn't resist putting his foot down on the way back and seeing if Nick could keep up.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey! So, another update after another long delay. Sorry. Anyway, here is what has happened in between chapter 3 and 4;

Adam and the guys work on building up his reputation. He gains a lot of attention and eventually Sonny (Blacklist 15) wants to challenge him. He agrees. Adam and Brooke went on a date (inevitable) It ended in a kiss. Now here he is, ready to take on his first blacklist challenge. Also, Sonny doesn't drive a VW Golf in my Need for Speed. I hate VW Golf's. They're boring. Good cars, but not street racer cars. I don't know how small little hatchback's make it into every Need for Speed. In the UK where I live, a modified hatchback is something only a stereotypical boy-racer would drive. They usually end up in ditches. Anyway, sorry for the rant. I always liked the livery of Sonny's car in the game, so in my NFS he drives a 2005-'10 model, drift-spec Scion tC with the same livery.

Enjoy!

Adam sat at the foot of his bed in almost total darkness, senselessly fiddling with his car keys. He had gotten ready an hour ago, yet still had another to kill before he had to leave. He had never been this nervous before a race before, but he had never really had one like _this_ before. So much was riding on it; his reputation, his ultimate goal to take down Razor to name but a few of those things. Not to mention that on top of it all, Razor was going to be there tonight, watching from the side-lines. The guys had informed Adam that his presence usually draws the big crowds, which meant that the rest of the blacklist would probably be making an appearance too. No pressure, then.

Adam flopped backwards onto the bed with a long, anxious huff, and stared up at the ceiling. In some ways, it was a blessing that the other fourteen would be there. They would know that he was serious, and realise that he was a genuine threat, if he won. _When _he won. You've got this, he told himself, over and over.

Adam was roused from his trance by the low, unmistakably modified rumble of an engine. Springing from his bed, he moved towards the window and drew back the curtain, letting the orange glow of the street lights bathe the room with an eerie tranquillity. The noise was coming from a tuned Nissan S13. It wafted along the streets, illuminated by the same disconcerting glow that was casting an almost sympathetic sense of tension over Adam's room. He watched as it passed his building and disappeared around the corner. A fellow racer on their way to watch the race, or just a normal citizen with a taste for Japanese imports on a late night grocery run? Who knows? Adam dropped the curtain, and the glow of the streetlights faded along with the momentary sense of ease that he had gotten from watching the car drive by.

He glanced at his watch. Forty-two minutes until he could leave. Any sooner and he may as well be the first one there, and he didn't want to appear over-eager, and over-confident. Luke had thought it best that he arrive alone this time. He would appear much more confident and formidable than if he turned up with his usual entourage of the guys and Brooke.

Time dragged so slowly. Adam made toast, but decided he wasn't hungry enough to eat it. Turned on the television, but couldn't find anything worth watching. He changed his t-shirt, only to decide that he preferred the one he had on beforehand. He watched another two modified cars drive past. Checked his watch countless times. When finally it was time to leave, he hesitated for several minutes. Was he really ready for this? Did he even _really _want to get caught up in something as serious as this? He snapped out of it, and headed out into the night.

Adam didn't pay much attention on the drive out of the city and up into the hills. He knew where to go, but as he got closer he couldn't really remember how he had got there. It was like he had been driving on autopilot. He shook his head. Time to focus. He glanced in his mirror. The bright lights of Los Angeles were shrinking into the darkness, behind the hills.

After following a long, quiet, winding road for a further fifteen minutes, he came across a road block. A set of traffic cones spanned the width of the road, and in the middle stood a 'road closed' sign. He waited for a few seconds, peering into the space before him that was illuminated by his headlights. Nothing. He waited some more. Still nothing. He knew this was the right road. Surely this road block had to have been set up? Just as he reached to unclip his safety belt so that he could get out and move the cones, a man ran out from behind the trees to his left. On closer inspection, Adam could make out the silhouette of a car and at least two other people, hidden behind the foliage. Had he not been looking for them, he would never have known they were there. The man who had just appeared had made a gap in the road block wide enough for Adam to fit through. He peered around cautiously, and then gave Adam a thumbs up. Adam flashed his headlights in thanks, and proceeded on his way, smiling in his rear-view as he watched the guy swiftly replace the cones, and jog back to his hiding place.

Moments later, lights begin to appear up ahead. As he got closer he found the road completely blocked by cars and people. Either side of the road was lined with cars, and the people flocked between them, parting like the red sea as he slowly crept through. Some shouted words of encouragement, gave thumbs up and other friendly gestures, while others, booed, cursed and made less friendly gestures. Finally, the Aston Martin and Charger of Luke and Nick came into view. He scanned around for them, but instead found Vince. Surrounded by his cronies, he turned to meet Adam's gaze as one of them pointed to the Skyline, and the two of them stared at each other coldly. Adam wasn't aware what the rest of the blacklist looked like, but he thought he could make out some of them from the equally cold stares he was getting from some of the other racers surrounded by their posse's. No sign of Razor. Yet

A tapping on his window caused Adam jump slightly. He rolled down the window for Brooke, Luke and Nick.

"Nice timing. Sonny is already here and people were beginning to question whether you would show. We've got them right where we want them" Luke said. "If they've set you up for failure already then victory will be oh so sweeter." Adam nodded and smiled to conceal the nerves.

"The start is about 2 miles that way" said Brooke, pointing in the direction that Adam had been travelling. "Sonny is up there waiting, so go get him" she winked. She leaned into the car and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. The sweet scent of her perfume filled his car, and the coupled with the softness of her lips, did more to calm him down than any pep-talk. The crowd oohed and wolf whistled. Brooke pulled away, smiling and ignoring the jeering. Adam smiled back and then looked at Nick.

"You don't get one of those from me" he joked. "But good luck all the same." They all wished him luck, and Adam set off. The crowd behind him booed and cheered as he drove away, but he wasn't listening to any of them. It was time to get in the zone. He drove at a reasonable pace, slow enough for him to take in the route. He would of course be doing it in reverse, but this was the only opportunity he was going to get to learn the roads. As Sonny had demanded the race be here, it was obvious that he himself was more than practiced on this stretch of asphalt. There were some good twists and turns, and some good straights too. Adam had to laugh at the cowardice of this setting though – a quiet road, far out of town, away from the police and traffic. It would probably be deserted at this time of night even without the road closed signs that had been set up. Even so, this would be no easy challenge.

It didn't take Adam long to reach the start line. Sonny's Scion tC sat patiently waiting, its currently dipped headlights giving it a somewhat menacing demeanour. Sonny leant against the driver's door, watching Adam with an expression mimicked by the car's aurora; patient, menacing, ready to attack. There were two other men there, and behind Sonny's car was an Escalade that Adam assumed belonged to one of them. He figured they were either there as support for Sonny, or to start the race. As Adam got out of his car, Sonny began to approach him. The two guys shifted as if something was about to go down, but relaxed as Sonny stopped in front of Adam.

"Was starting to think you'd chickened out" Sonny said calmly. "I wouldn't blame you."

Adam wasn't intimidated. He just smirked. "I was actually just making a last minute modification. I was trying to make my ride a bit slower to keep this fair on you." Smack talk really wasn't Adam's thing, but he was trying to compensate for the nerves by acting cocky. A dangerous tactic, he had learned from his first encounter with Vince, but he couldn't help himself.

Sonny gave a small, unperturbed laugh, and kept his gaze. He surveyed Adam, before stepping back a few paces. "Shall we?"

The two men stepped forward, and one of them spoke. "Okay, so I think this is fairly obvious but just in case – first one back to the other end wins, the loser hands over ten thousand bucks and the winner either gets to keep or gain the fifteenth spot on the blacklist. All clear?" The two drivers nodded, still staring each other out. "Good. Gentlemen, saddle up."

Adam and Sonny made for their cars, the man that had just spoke headed for the Escalade, and the other one took his place in between the two vehicles of the racers. Adam strapped in, checked everything was all good, and then flicked the key in the ignition. He exhaled. This was it. Sonny confidently took his place behind the wheel, telling the nervous voice inside his head to shut up.

As both engines fired up, the starter pointed to each driver for confirmation that they were ready, and upon receiving it, he threw his arms into the air. Engines revved, tires squealed, hearts pounded and as the guy in front dropped his arms, the race began.

Sonny's Scion rocketed off the line, taking the lead into the first bend. Sonny ripped the handbrake, and drifted the entire turn, smirking as he blocked Adam from trying to get past. The manoeuvre had caught Adam completely unaware – he hadn't been expecting it. There seemed to be a reason that sonny's Scion was styled like a drift machine, then. He managed to reel Sonny in on the next straightaway. He was now tucked right under the Scion's rear wing, and getting a good pull in the slipstream. He moved out of it for another go at getting by. Sonny countered. Adam had better position for the next bend, a long, fast curve in the road. He out-braked Sonny and gained the lead. Adam chose the proper racing line in the corner, and saw Sonny do the same. Guess he'd given up with the flashy drifting now that he was behind. His headlights filled Adam's mirrors. The noise of the Scion's turbocharged engine was so close it felt like it was coming from inside Adam's ears. Their cars drew level on the next straight. Adam compelled himself to keep his eyes on the road, and not to look over and see if Sonny appeared to be struggling or not. He grabbed another gear, and edged forwards. They hung on to each other through the next few bends, both drivers pushing the other as hard as they could. Adam could see lights up ahead. The finish was so close. There was one more turn. He would need to get this perfect to stay in the lead. He moved to the outside, ready to take the best line through the corner. Adam's heart began racing as he saw that Sonny did not do the same, and instead just breezed past, thinking Adam had backed off. He had this now. It was his race to win. Sonny laughed as he shot past Adam towards the corner. They both turned in, but Sonny was going too fast and was taking the wrong line. He cursed loudly as his car veered wide out of the exit. Adam had judged it perfectly, and sailed past Sonny's under-steering car. Adam was able to maintain his speed through the corner, whereas Sonny was forced to change down a couple of gears. He was carrying no speed into the last straight compared to Adam, who was leaving him behind and streaking towards victory. Sonny slammed his steering wheel, cursing even more as he desperately floored the accelerator and shoved the stick into gear. Adam watched Sonny's car shrink in his rear-view, and punched the air as he saw the finish line approaching.

"YES! Come on!" he shouted as he skidded to a halt, and was surrounded by the euphoric crowd. He could barely move as he got out of his car. People were fighting to get to him to congratulate him, shake his hand, and show their support. So many people were talking to him at once, he could barely make out what anybody was saying. Somehow, over the noise, he heard Nick's booming voice telling people to make way. He appeared through the crowd with Luke and Brooke, all looking ecstatic, and they all pushed towards him and all hugged him at the same time. They jumped around on the spot excitedly, screaming their congratulations

"Yes! We knew you could do it!" from Luke.

"Come on, that's what I'm talking about" from Nick, shouting so the crowd could hear. More cheers. The crowd began to back off, and Adam took the opportunity to gaze around. Sonny stood by his car, angrily pushing people away from him, not wanting their condolences. Most of his entourage seemed to have abandoned him, fleeing like the status he had just lost had been the only thing keeping them around. A few loyal members still hung about and tried to talk to him despite the fact that he was furious and taking it out on everyone around him. Vince was hastily getting into his car and leaving, so were a couple of others. Satisfaction washed over Adam like a wave of hot air. _Still _no sign of Razor, though. Did even he bother showing up? Brooke's voice pulled him back into the moment.

"Hey! Congratulations, blacklist fifteen" she said, leaning in for another kiss. They ignored the jeering once again. It was the ice cold voice of Razor and the hush that followed that stopped them. He was stood in front of them, his posse behind him.

"Well, well, well. You're now a member of the blacklist" he said. "You must be very happy." He gave a half smile - a smile that was filled with sarcasm and menace. Adam stared back, his face straight, eyes burning with hatred. Brook held his hand, and the other guys stood confidently beside him. The crowd had quietened down dramatically. Razor continued. "Don't get too used to it. It won't last long." He skulked back through the crowd, crew in tow, and disappeared once again. Just as the crowd began to liven up again, Luke turned to Adam.

"Seriously dude, well done. This is huge. No one has taken on the blacklist and won in months." He slapped Adam on the arm, and Adam nodded. He felt so good. Better than he had done after any win before. He wanted to celebrate. It was as though Nick read his mind.

"AFTER-PARTY AT THE GARAGE!" he shouted.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey! Another update. This is my first cop chase! Exciting. It takes place just after the first race that Adam enters after taking 15th on the blacklist. So, here goes;

...

Mirrors filled with flashing red and blue lights. Sirens shrieking above the engine noise. Chaos. As soon as those cops had busted the meet, there had been chaos. Racers scrambled for their cars. Most made it, but an unlucky few were taken down and cuffed before they could even reach for their keys. Cars poured out of the industrial estate, taking off in all directions. Some didn't make it very far. Adam and Brooke had jumped into the Skyline and got out just in time. Neither of them saw whether Luke and Nick had made it. Now, Adam was speeding down God knows what street, a cop car viciously close to his rear bumper, another one just up ahead in hot pursuit of a Chevelle, both of which had just pulled out of the side street Adam had been heading for. Before he could dive down it, they had spilled out, tyres smoking, lights flashing, and prevented Adam from getting off this goddamn road. It was the straightest, longest road he had ever driven on. At least it felt like it was, with this cop right on his tail. He needed to get off this road and lose him. He scanned up ahead for an escape.

"LOOK OUT" screeched Brooke, and Adam swerved just in time to avoid the out of control Chevelle that had just been spun out by the cop. As Adam mounted the kerb and re-joined the road, he looked in his rear view just in time to see the cop that had been chasing him smash head on into the Chevelle. He was following so close to Adam that he hadn't had time to move. It was a nasty crash.

No time to worry. That racer was busted; there was nothing he could do. The cop that had spun the Chevelle had stopped. They were alone at last. An intersection was looming. A car sped across it from left to right, two cop cars following on. Adam turned left.

"Take the next right!" Brooke said whirling around to see if they were safe yet.

Adam veered right, and almost recreated the Chevelle crash with an oncoming civilian car. He swerved, his passenger side mirror flying off as it scraped against the side of the minivan. The civilian honked, but Adam was already gone.

They sped past a smashed up 350z who's driver was being wrestled to the floor by two cops, while another pointed his taser at him. The one with the taser left the other two to cuff the felon, and scrambled for his squad car. He flicked off the siren and set off after Adam.

Brooke looked in the rear view, and then behind out the back window. Flashing lights in the distance. "Don't let him catch up" she threatened.

"Any ideas?!" Adam said, swerving through honking traffic. Where had all this come from? It was slowing him down considerably, and the cop was gaining. He was running out of patience.

"Try and lose him on the freeway" she said.

As they sped over a bridge across the nearest freeway, another gang of racers hurtled underneath it with a big tail of cop cars behind them.

"I don't think that's gonna work!" he said angrily. Brooke cursed as she looked out of the back window again The cop was close. The traffic parted for him graciously, whereas they reacted to Adam's oncoming Skyline with hostility. Rightly so, from a law abiding citizen's perspective, but it wasn't helping.

There was a crash as the cop bumped into the rear of the Skyline. Adam swore loudly. Another bump. Adam swerved form side to side, but the cop wasn't fazed.

"He's going for a pit!" cried Brooke. Adam countered and the manoeuvre failed, but the cop was closer than ever. He positioned himself for another P.I.T manoeuvre. Adam knew this one would stick. He wouldn't be able to avoid it. It was just then that Nick's Charger appeared, sliding out of the side street they were just passing in a glorious roar of old-school Hemi fury. He pulled alongside the cop, and barged him into a bus shelter. Brooke and Adam roared with delight and praised the day that Nick had been born. The man of the hour flashed his headlights, and pulled off into another side street. They would rendezvous later.

"Pull in up there!" Brooke shouted, pointing towards an underground car park entrance. Adam slowed and turned in carefully, so as not to leave any tyre tracks that would give them away. Thankfully, the car park was 24 hours. The barrier opened for them, and Adam descended to the lowest level, and parked as far out of the way as possible. It wasn't perfect, but it would do for now. They hastily got out, locked it up, and made for the exit as inconspicuously as possible, keeping their heads down in front of the CCTV. As they walked out onto the street again, a cop car sped past. Their hearts raced, but he kept on going. Brooke pointed to a diner opposite the car park.

"Let's wait in there until its safe" she said. Adam agreed. They sat and drank coffee for two hours, pondering whether their friends were okay. They had tried texting and calling around. Some answered, some didn't. Nick was fine. No answer from Luke. Twice they saw a fellow racer speed past the diner; the first had a tail, the second didn't. No cops passed for another thirty minutes. Luke called. He was safe. He and Nick were at the garage listening to the scanner. The search was off. Thirteen suspects apprehended. A decent haul for the LCPD. A few units were still patrolling, but they were on the other side of the city now. It was safe to return home.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey! New update. This follows on directly after my last one for a change, so nothing much to explain here. My next update will be soon, still writing the race. :)

...

The alarm that woke Adam the next afternoon was as shrill as the noise of the sirens that he still had ringing in his ears. Adam glanced at the clock. 1:00PM. He had set a late alarm as he hadn't got home until 6:00AM, stopping at the garage to meet up with the others before he headed home, and even then hadn't been able to get off to sleep straight away.

What a night. It had been long and challenging but now that he was up he felt perfectly awake, even with such little sleep. He figured it was probably still the adrenaline of last night that was keeping him going. A long and challenging night yes, but it had been exciting too.

Deciding to make his way over to the garage, he showered, dressed and ate a very late breakfast. In the car park of his building he surveyed the Skyline's battle scars in the daylight. Not too bad; a dent to the rear, couple of dents to each side, a missing wing mirror. An easy fix. It would need a new paint job however. T-Cut wasn't going to get those scratches out.

It was the same story for Nick's Charger – some dents, the worst ones from the collision that put the cop into a bus shelter, and lots of paint work. Luke's DBS was pristine as usual. It was even clean. Adam surveyed all three once he had arrived at the garage. Brooke's 370z was here too. He locked the Skyline and started for the garage, when a whistle came from the club house. He turned to see Luke beckoning him to come over.

He, Brooke and Nick were inside, sat at a table. Adam joined them. He greeted them all as he entered, and then sat next to Brooke, giving her a small peck on the cheek as he sat down.

"So, any word on George?" he asked. Their friend George had been busted last night. He made the mistake of returning to the meet to hide, thinking it was the last place the cops would look. On any other night it would have worked, but last night he had been caught out by a cop that had stayed behind after getting a flat tyre. George arrived just as the cop's back-up did. He was now in jail.

"His bail has been posted, he'll be out at some point today" replied Luke. "He's gonna have to conjure up some hard cash to get his ride out of impound though."

"Ouch. Can we help him out?" asked Nick.

"I've reached out to him, we'll see if he needs us"

There were a few moments of silence after that. Looking around, everyone was starting to show signs of tiredness. Adam yawned.

"Has anyone re-scheduled the race yet?" he asked.

"Not yet, but it won't be for a few days" said Brooke softly, leaning her head on Adam's shoulder. "We'll wait for the heat to die down a little bit"

He put an arm around her shoulder, and squeezed her gently. Nick yawned. Luke put his head in his hands and sighed. They all needed more sleep.

...

The next few days went by slowly. The guys worked in the garage during the day, using any spare time to fix up their own cars, and in the evenings they went home to relax. On the fourth day after the failed race, Luke got a call saying that the re-match would take place the following night. He therefore gave Luke and Nick the day off to get their rides back to full health. As the damage was mostly cosmetic, it didn't take long, and once all they needed was a coat of fresh paint, Luke told the two of them to leave them in his hands and he'd have some of the other guys sort them out. He told them they didn't have to work tomorrow either.

Adam took the opportunity to spend his day off with Brooke. They went for a walk along the Santa Monica Pier, had lunch, went for a stroll along the beach, and in the evening went out for dinner. From there, Brooke drove them to the garage for their pre-race rendezvous.

When they arrived, it was only Luke there. They met him in the garage and made their way over to the clubhouse to wait for Nick.

"It's at the dockyard this time" said Luke, leading them into the clubhouse and sitting down at a table. There was something different about his manner tonight. As he sat down, his foot tapped uncontrollably. His usual, authoritative, confident self, seemed less so. Was it because of the race? It would be his first one for a while. Or was it because he was worried about more interference with the cops? Could be both. "It's more open, so will be easier to get out if the cops show up again" he said.

"Shall we put the scanner on?" Adam asked.

"Nah, it's okay. I just spoke to Reggie who's monitoring the airwaves tonight, he says we're good to go."

So it was the race he was worried about. "Hey. We've got this." Adam told him. It seemed to help a little bit. It was weird to see Luke like this. He had always been so sure of everything since Adam had met him.

A few moments later, Nick arrived. He had gotten a lift from George, who would be accompanying them tonight. The two of them entered the clubhouse, and everyone greeted each other. They all mentioned how they were glad that George managed to get out on bail, and then teased him a little for getting caught in the first place. He took it on the chin. Adam didn't know George that well, but he liked him. He was a cool guy, and had always been one of the people that Adam didn't feel he had to prove himself to. They had met after his first win since he had come to L.A., and George had mentioned that he had been at that fateful meet where Adam had had his very first encounter with the blacklist. George had always said how he had sympathised with Adam being shown up like that.

Before long it was time to leave. Luke gave Adam the keys to the Skyline and told him to fetch it from the garage while they got ready. It looked brand new again. Adam pulled out and drove across the forecourt, where he parked outside the clubhouse. The others were just coming out, so he decided to stay in the car. He wound down the window for Brooke.

"Hey, baby. I'm gonna ride with Luke. Think he could do with someone to talk to on the way there."

Adam agreed, and she leaned in for a quick kiss before hurrying over to join Luke in his Aston Martin. Nick was going to ride with George tonight, so as Luke fired up the DBS and headed out, George and Adam followed behind.

It took about an hour to get to the dockyard, which was located at the end of Harbour Scenic Way in Long Beach. When they arrived, there was already a large crowd. The meet was situated under the huge loading cranes on the north side of the docks, between those and the huge stacks of containers. Adam couldn't help but think what a stupid place this was for a meet so soon after one that had been busted. Sure, it was big and open in some areas, and there were lots of routes around the various cranes and shipping containers, but the dockyard had only one real road out of it. It was almost like being on an island. At least someone had had the good sense to check the shipping schedule and see that there were no ships inbound or outgoing tonight. No big ones anyway. Even so, on the way in Adam had seen a fair few civilians that were still working. Maybe someone had paid off a security guard here and there… Adam decided it was best not to worry and get this over with as quickly as possible. He and Luke lined their cars at the starting point and got out to wait for their competitors. They mingled for a while, and Adam completely forgot about the whole uneasiness he had been feeling about their location. Soon after, their challengers arrived. One drove a highly modified Mazda RX8, another drove an equally tricked out and brand new Toyota GT86. They lined up next to the Aston and the Skyline, and immediately Adam and Luke began to talk tactics.

"Who do you want, the Toyota or the Mazda?"

"I think the Skyline will be more of a match for the Mazda"

"Me too"

"Great, so you'll take the Mazda in the Aston?"

"Yeah"

"Great"

"Good"

The pair of them nodded at each other. They could do nothing to hide the nerves from one another. These guys looked _very _serious, and they hadn't expected that. Luke's Aston was faster than the Skyline, so what they needed was for Luke to take on the Mazda on the first lap, demolish it, and give Adam more than enough of a lead over the Toyota to take the win.

Reggie was generally expected to be the starter for every race in L.A. because he did it so often, but tonight he was occupied listening to the scanner, so George stepped up. He asked the racers to gather round and told them all what they already knew. Two lap race around the dockyard, one person from each team does the first lap, and the other does the second. He was aware of how Adam and Luke wanted this to go, so trying to sound as impartial as possible, proceeded in telling everyone who would be running what lap. The challengers, as expected, protested this.

"Oh hell no! We didn't agree to this"

"I wanna shot at that Skyline" said the Toyota driver. "And I wanna go first."

The four of them debated this for a good while, before Nick stepped in and suggested a coin toss. George flipped a quarter to determine if the Toyota driver could go first. Heads he could, tails he was second. It was heads. He would start. Then George then flipped again to determine who started alongside him. Heads it was Adam, tails it was Luke. _Be tails, _they both thought to themselves.

It was heads.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey! Sorry it's been so long. Laziness is my only excuse. Anyway, this follows on directly from my last chapter. Enjoy!

...

Adam and the Toyota driver lined up alongside each other, in front of Luke and the Mazda. George took his place in front of them, and raised his arms. Adam quickly glanced sidewards towards the crowd. Brooke and Nick had pushed to the front to cheer them on. She winked at him and smiled supportively. A wave of calm washed over him for a few seconds. Only she had this effect on him. He smiled back and then flicked his eyes to face front. George nodded at him and he nodded back. George nodded towards the Toyota driver, who responded with a rev of his beastly engine. The aftermarket turbo was noticeably audible over the exhaust note, its mechanical whine a warning of what this car was hiding under the hood.

As soon as George's hands dropped, they were off in the usual explosion of chaos. It was a straight blast to the first corner, and the Toyota was tearing away. Shit, that thing is fast, Adam thought as he pushed the Skyline into a higher gear.

The Toyota reached the corner and drifted it with ease. Adam's car struggled to maintain speed as he did the same, allowing the gap between him and the Toyota to grow. They pulled back onto Harbour Scenic Way, and made another right, powering down towards the south side of the dockyard. Adam could do nothing to close the gap between them.

The next bend was a long sweeping right-hander that took them between two rows of containers. The noises of the engines reverberated off of their towering metal walls, magnified and echoing throughout the dockyard. It was like driving through a tunnel, except there was no light at the end – just another swooping bend.

They took the corner at considerable speed, and as they burst out of the valley of containers they had to slow dramatically for a sharp right-handed hairpin. The Toyota had underestimated the sharpness of the corner, and steered wide. This closed the gap ever so slightly, but even so it was too late now. Only two more corners left, and then it would have to be up to Nick to finish this.

The first corner was almost a ninety degree left-hander, which slowed them both down again; next, a short straight leading towards the final corner. Adam mashed his foot to the floor to try and catch up. Luke was going to need every second he could give him. They turned right onto the final straight, the loading cranes looming over them on one side, more containers on the other. The crowd had come into view. Adam could see Luke and the Mazda waiting in the middle of the road up ahead.

The Toyota got there about four seconds before Adam, and skidded to a halt as the Mazda took off on his lap. Adam crossed the line, slamming on his breaks and stopping abruptly. Luke's Aston Martin bellowed as he span its wheels off of the line, that magnificent V12 thundering with a meaty growl. Adam leapt from his car as Luke passed him, and watched as he disappeared down the straight in hot pursuit. It was all he could do now. Wait.

Nick and Brooke ran over to him, followed by some of his other friends and supporters. The opposition were jeering and making fun of the fact that Adam had lost the first lap. He ignored them but still brushed off Brooke and Nick's reassurances. He could have done better, and he knew it. It was up to Luke now. He just hoped he'd given him enough help.

The next couple of minutes took an age to pass. As soon as the engine noise was audible again the crowd became restless and excitable. The pumped-up rotary and the V12 were screaming over each other, making it impossible to tell who was closer. It must be tight. People were craning their necks, looking down the straight to see who would appear first. The tension was almost too much.

Adam's side of the crowd burst into celebration as Luke appeared, closely followed by the RX8. It was madness. Everyone was screaming, the noise of the two cars was growing louder and louder. Luke pulled away easily, and as he crossed the line in first, Adam and his side of the crowd erupted. Luke responded with some donuts, before getting out of his car. Adam started towards him, when his heart began racing and he stopped dead in his tracks. _Not again._

It took seconds for everyone else to see them, and those who couldn't see immediately heard them.

Sirens.


End file.
